September 2019
174 Rains Avenue Nashville, TN 37203 www.FiftyForward.org
Inside this issue: Cigna offers programming at our centers page 3 Knowles Holiday Events
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Get your travel on! Check out our trips page 4 Gain insight on wellness resources page 5 Learn about FiftyForward Supportive Care Services page 6
FiftyForward Agency Events Wednesday, Nov. 6 Fall for FiftyForward Breakfast Held at FiftyForward/Patricia Hart Building, 7:30-8:30 a.m. This annual event invites community supporters and potential donors to this networking breakfast to learn more about the programs and services of FiftyForward. For more information, contact Karin Weaver, development director , 615-743-3434.
Nashville songwriter Barry Coggins puts his heart and song into raising awareness and funds for FiftyForward Fresh/Meals on Wheels “Meals on Wheels!” comes the cheery greeting as Nashville songwriter Barry Coggins knocks on the door of his latest delivery destination. For more than twenty-five years Barry has helped spearhead an effort to deliver hot food to older adults in need as a volunteer for FiftyForward Fresh/Meals on Wheels. “Food for the body and conversation for the soul” is Barry’s motto as he spends every Thursday out in the community making deliveries, often bringing friends along to help. In his twenty-five years, Barry has delivered an estimated 9,000 meals and volunteered 3,000 hours. “It’s a good habit to have…It’s a wonderful thing to be able to share food and conversation with people who…enjoy the company,” says Barry about his service, "delivering meals means just as much to me - actually probably more - than it does for the people who need the meals. The hugs I get are worth any time I invest." Barry doesn’t stop there, however. He also shows his love of the program through fundraising. He recently hosted the Barry Coggins Golf Tournament for FiftyForward Fresh/Meals on Wheels for the twentieth year in a row, raising more than $20,000. He also hosts an annual singer/ songwriters’ night and ‘Barry-oke’ as events which bring in much-needed funds for the program. According to a study by Feeding America, Tennessee is tied with Missouri as the 41st most food-insecure state. More than one million Tennesseans are food insecure,
with 17.1% of the state’s population not having enough to eat. FiftyForward Fresh/ Meals on Wheels seeks to alleviate hunger for older adults who are in need, delivering more than 20,000 meals annually, including on weekends and holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. FiftyForward Fresh/Meals on Wheels is dedicated to providing filling and nutritious meals for adults who may be isolated or home-bound, and volunteers like Barry are the heart and soul of the mission.
Become a FiftyForward Fresh/ Meals on Wheels volunteer and deliver hot meals and warm wishes to homebound older adults If you are looking for a meaningful volunteer opportunity, sign up to deliver meals for FiftyForward Fresh/Meals on Wheels. Spread cheer while you deliver a hot, nutritious meal to older adults in your community. Volunteers are assigned a designated time to pick up meals. Each volunteer receives the packaged meal as well as the address of 4-6 older adults who live in close proximity to one another. Last year, FiftyForward Meals on Wheels delivered more than 18,000 hot meals to 134 homebound older adults in the Nashville community. You can “be like Barry” and spread joy all year long doing something that gives back. To volunteer to prep or deliver meals, contact Sharie Loik Goodman, director, FiftyForward Fresh/Meals on Wheels, sloik@fiftyforward.org. Currently, volunteers are needed in the Bellevue area on Tuesdays and Fridays.